Draw a nasturtium leaf in Aquarell: attach the petiole inside the underside, not at the edge

Nasturtium leaves are easily reduced to a round symbol; attaching the petiole at the margin loses the peltate structure. Draw two views of Tropaeolum majus in Aquarell: a large upper-surface view with radiating veins and a smaller underside attachment view. They explain the same kind of structure, not a measured flip of one specimen.

Reserve separate spaces for both views

Use an approximately 1800×1500 px canvas, large blade left and smaller underside view lower right, with continuous ground between. Mark a rounded envelope and an internal attachment point for each, both clear of the margin. Tilt the main blade into a soft ellipse and choose an underside angle exposing attachment. Later add gentle edge waves and turns if they look like coins. Do not show the petiole through the upper surface. Layout dimensions do not establish one shared scale.

Keep one continuous blade

Build a complete near-round contour around the inner point, with gentle uneven waves rather than seven separate blades. Shallow indentations retain connected tissue; veins must not become deep cuts. Restore tissue if it looks compound and reduce equally spaced teeth if it looks like a gear. Compress turning edges subtly instead of relying on a perfect geometric circle. Omit flowers and drops so attachment remains the focus. Hand-place colours within one continuous blade.

Keep the upper radiating centre closed

Radiate several main veins from the internal region using restrained greens, never a black hole. Taper them rather than joining rigid wheel spokes to a rim. Vary spans and add a few branches, adjusting for perspective. Fill an apparent central hole with blade colour and reduce its outline; repair tissue if it becomes a star-shaped tear. Do not copy an exact reference vein count: this drawing explains direction, not every vein of a specimen.

Attach the underside petiole inside the blade

Use a paler underside and curve the petiole upward into an internal junction, supported by blade tissue rather than the margin. Trace both stalk edges to the junction before nearby veins. Remove an extra segment piercing through like an umbrella handle. Move a notch-attached petiole inward and retain surrounding tissue. A curved stalk is not a climbing demonstration; add neither unexplained supports nor imagined internal vascular structures.

Align underside veins with the stalk junction

Spread underside veins from the stalk-junction region. Suggest raised near veins through a narrow highlight and pale adjacent shade, not loose white cords. Omit hidden far veins rather than drawing a transparent network. Unify separated stalk and vein centres; reduce excess netting that distracts from the structure. Related greens can distinguish upper and lower views. Do not merely mirror the main image and claim an exact reconstruction; arrange visible surfaces for the chosen underside angle.

Keep turning margins distinct from cuts

Turn up a short margin using a narrow dark edge and paler underside, tapering both ends back into the contour. Let tone follow overall curvature rather than deep valleys between every vein. Repair accidental background slits toward the centre. Narrow and reconnect a flap resembling another leaflet. The underside study need not repeat the same curl, since these are not exact paired views of one leaf. Restrained changes describe thinness without a heavy black frame.

Distinguish marginal from peltate attachment

Hide decorative detail and check that blade tissue surrounds the underside petiole end, while the main centre stays closed tissue. Move a margin-attached stalk rather than compensating with a “peltate” label; repair gaps splitting the simple blade. Restore veins without cross-view connections. Temporary upper/underside labels stay on guides. This tests visible drawn attachment, not complete species identification or plant health from schematic colours.

Reopen and verify both views independently

Save native work, hide points and envelopes, export PNG and reopen small. The main view should show a continuous radiating blade and the small view an internally attached underside stalk. Enlarge to inspect cross-view lines and accidental holes. Enlarge the underside study in the layout if its junction is lost, rather than thickening the stalk over an error. Reopen editable layers and note structural studies rather than measured flips of one specimen. No automatic botanical reconstruction or identification is claimed.

Related tutorials and sources

Draw a ginkgo leaf in Aquarell: fan branching veins from the leaf base; Draw a monstera leaf in Aquarell: distinguish enclosed holes from edge-reaching splits.

Sources checked on 14 November 2026: the official Aquarell App Store listing and Apple Lookup show version 1.0.7, requiring iOS / iPadOS 15.0 or later. Use the publicly described brush, colour, layer and saving capabilities manually. Dimensions, view and colours are original exercise suggestions; confirm controls against the installed version. Keep editable native artwork and PNG previews. No step-by-step device testing, product inspection or species identification is claimed.

Morphology: Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney’s PlantNET profile describes peltate, circular-to-reniform blades and radiating veins. Only structural categories are adopted; vein count, pixels and colours are not measurements.